Atlas lay in bed that night, wondering what had happened in the moments that were dark in his memory. The pain from Elidi's fist, the bruises that lay on his stomach, everything was there, and very real. But why could he not remember the moments in which his hand wrapped around Elidi's neck? He shuddered at the thought of him doing something so aggressive.

Usually, Elidi and he shared a room, but tonight she slept in Soleil's room. She would never admit it, but truthfully, she was scared. Atlas tossed and turned, trying to piece the puzzle together, but every time he drew a blank. Elidi had explained to him what happened, how he gripped her neck, squeezed with what felt like the intent to end her life. He stared at his hand. But he could never, he would never do that, especially to someone he cared about. He didn't even believe he had the strength to do so.

Atlas crawled out of bed, realizing he wasn't going to fall asleep anytime soon. He tiptoed around, deciding to head outside. The midnight breeze provides a soothing atmosphere. He breathes in, enjoying the night sky. He stares at the newly sprouted flower beds, their petals glowing, illuminated by the moonlight. He grabbed a flower, feeling a sudden sense of familiarity. The flowers on this level of the mountain had a blue glow, but the further up you go, the more you could find beds of pink and purple. It's a rare sight to see, at night, the radiant glow is beautiful to behold. Perhaps he'd pick one of them and give it to Elidi in the morning, that, plus an apology for his actions.

Only one issue, he's never been able to get up there on his own. Soleil had instructed the two not to go up there without him, and for Atlas, it was already an impossible task without the warning. He turns, eyeing the steep incline, the small cuts barely closed from his earlier ascent. But there's a newfound determination within him. He was able to get back on his own, a major accomplishment in its own right. He had the strength to do it; he just needed to believe in himself.

He began his climb with a familiar pain in his grip, but that didn't matter. The trip was long and grueling, but numbness in his hands had set which made the pain a little less. His chest heaved as he reached one hand out, grabbing the small jutting rocks. He winced as new cuts formed and old ones reopened, his clothing drenched in sweat. But he didn't care about all that now; he had proved himself once, and he'd do it again.

Atlas huffed as he reached the summit, the glow of pink and purple emanating into the sky. "Yes!" He yelled, pumping a fist into the air before he wobbled forward, his legs giving out halfway. He fell onto his knees on top of a bed of flowers, he reached out picking the best looking ones. It didn't matter to him that he was exhausted; he made it to the top, and he did it alone. "I did it." He spoke to himself as if reassuring this was real. He smiled to himself as the breeze blew through his hair.

"What are you doing up here?"

Atlas turned to the sound of Elidi's voice. She stood barefoot in her night gown, her blonde hair blowing in the breeze. Her arms were crossed, and her face was a tad sleepless. Atlas paused for a moment, surprised to see Elidi outside at this hour. "I wanted to pick these for you, as a way to apologize for what I did." Atlas's voice faded into an awkward silence between the two. "I'm sorry-" he starts, but is immediately interrupted. "It's dangerous to come up here alone, you know," Elidi states, sitting herself next to Atlas. She takes a deep breath before grabbing one of the flowers in Atlas's hand. "I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have beaten you up like that. I just got so angry. I really want to go to school, and Soleil compared us, and I just... I lost my cool. I'm sorry."

Atlas stared in awe at her face. He had never heard her apologize with such sincerity in her voice. He found himself breaking out into a fit of laughter. "What's so funny?" Elidi asked, her face turning a hint of red. But Atlas couldn't help himself; he clutched his stomach, chuckling away. He no longer felt the injuries he had sustained earlier. Suddenly, he rose to his feet and began walking forward towards the summit's edge. He noticed a particularly large flower that he wanted to get for her. Elidi stood, ranting about why he wouldn't tell her what joke she's missing out on.